Underground Plumbing System

ABSTRACT

An underground plumbing system for inhibiting debris from entering an underground valve box includes a valve box that may be buried in ground. Thus, an underground plumbing fitting may be housed within the valve box. A lid is removably positioned on the valve box and the lid is positioned to close the top side. A shield is removably positioned within the valve box. The shield inhibits debris from entering the valve box when the valve box is buried. Thus, the shield inhibits the underground plumbing fitting from being covered by the debris.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE Field of the Disclosure

The disclosure relates to plumbing devices and more particularlypertains to a new plumbing device for inhibiting debris from entering anunderground valve box.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above bygenerally comprising a valve box that may be buried in ground. Thus, anunderground plumbing fitting may be housed within the valve box. A lidis removably positioned on the valve box and the lid is positioned toclose the top side. A shield is removably positioned within the valvebox. The shield inhibits debris from entering the valve box when thevalve box is buried. Thus, the shield inhibits the underground plumbingfitting from being covered by the debris.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more importantfeatures of the disclosure in order that the detailed descriptionthereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that thepresent contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There areadditional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafterand which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features ofnovelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out withparticularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of thisdisclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than thoseset forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to thefollowing detailed description thereof. Such description makes referenceto the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an underground plumbing systemaccording to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a cut-away in-use view taken along line of an embodiment ofthe disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of a shield of an embodiment of thedisclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through5 thereof, a new plumbing device embodying the principles and conceptsof an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by thereference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 5, the underground plumbingsystem 10 generally comprises a valve box 12 that has bottom side 14, atop side 16 and an outer wall 18 extending therebetween. Each of the topside 16 and the bottom side 14 is open. The valve box 12 may be buriedin ground 20 having the top side 16 being exposed. Thus, an undergroundplumbing fitting 22 may be housed within the valve box 12. The outerwall 18 has an inner surface 24.

The valve box 12 may comprise an underground valve box of anyconventional design. The underground plumbing fitting 22 may comprise asprinkler system valve or the like. The valve box 12 includes a lid 26.The lid 26 is removably positioned on the valve box 12 and the lid 26 ispositioned to close the top side 16.

A shield 28 is removably positioned within the valve box 12. The shield28 inhibits debris 30 from entering the valve box 12 when the valve box12 is buried. Thus, the shield 28 inhibits the underground plumbingfitting 22 being covered by the debris 30. The debris 30 may comprisedirt, rocks or other earthen material.

The shield 28 comprises a frame 32 that has a pair of lateral walls 34extending between a pair of longitudinal walls 36. The lateral walls 34are spaced apart from each other such that the frame 32 has arectangular shape. The frame 32 has an inside surface 38 and an outsidesurface 40. The frame 32 is removably positioned in the valve box 12.Thus, the outside surface 40 of the frame 32 frictionally engages theinner surface 24 of the valve box 12.

The frame 32 is coextensive with the outer wall 18 of the valve box 12when the frame 32 is positioned in the valve box 12. Moreover, the frame32 is aligned with the bottom side 14 of the valve box 12 when the frame32 is positioned in the valve box 12. Thus, the frame 32 is positionedbeneath the underground plumbing fitting 22. The frame 32 may bemanufactured with a variety of dimensions. Thus, the frame 32 may fit ina variety of valve box 12 sizes.

A screen 42 is provided and the screen 42 is coupled to the insidesurface 38 of the frame 32. The screen 42 extends between each of thelateral walls 34 and each of the longitudinal walls 36. Thus, the screen42 inhibits the debris 30 from passing through the frame 32 when thevalve box 12 is buried. The screen 42 comprises a mesh material. Themesh material may have openings ranging between three mm and six mm.

In use, a hole 36 is dug in ground 20 and the frame 32 is positioned inthe hole 36. The valve box 12 is positioned on the hole 36 such that theframe 32 is positioned in the valve box 12. Thus, the screen 42 inhibitsthe debris 30 from being urged upwardly in the valve box 12. Theunderground plumbing fitting 22 is positioned to extend through thevalve box 12 in the convention of underground sprinkler systems and thelike. The underground plumbing fitting 22 is positioned above the frame32. The screen 42 inhibits the underground plumbing fitting 22 frombecoming buried by the debris 30. Thus, the underground plumbing fitting22 may be serviced without having to expose the underground plumbingfitting 22 with respect to the debris 30.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized thatthe optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodimentenabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials,shape, form, function and manner of operation, system and use, aredeemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and allequivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings anddescribed in the specification are intended to be encompassed by anembodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of theprinciples of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications andchanges will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is notdesired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operationshown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications andequivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of thedisclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used inits non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word areincluded, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. Areference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not excludethe possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless thecontext clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.

1. An underground plumbing system being configured to inhibit debrisfrom entering a valve box when the valve box is buried, said systemcomprising: a valve box being configured to be buried in ground therebyfacilitating an underground plumbing fitting to be housed within saidvalve box; a lid being removably positioned on said valve box, said lidbeing positioned to close said top side; and a shield being removablypositioned within said valve box wherein said shield is configured toinhibit debris from entering said valve box when said valve box isburied thereby inhibiting the underground plumbing fitting from beingcovered by the debris, said shield comprising a frame having a pair oflateral walls extending between a pair of longitudinal walls, saidlateral walls being spaced apart from each other such that said framehas a rectangular shape, said frame having an inside surface and anoutside surface, said shield further comprising a screen being coupledto and extending perpendicularly from said inside surface of said frame,said screen being offset from and centrally positioned between upper andlower edges of said frame and extending between each of said lateralwalls and each of said longitudinal walls wherein said screen isconfigured to inhibit the debris from passing through said frame whensaid valve box is buried.
 2. The system according to claim 1, whereinsaid valve box has a bottom side, a top side and an outer wall extendingtherebetween, each of said top side and said bottom side being open,said outer wall having an inner surface, said top side being configuredto be exposed when said valve box is buried.
 3. (canceled)
 4. The systemaccording to claim 1, wherein: said valve box has an outer wall and abottom side, said outer wall having an inner surface; and said framebeing removably positioned in said valve box having said outside surfaceof said frame frictionally engaging said inner surface of said valve boxhaving said frame being coextensive with said outer wall of said valvebox, said frame being aligned with said bottom side of said valve boxwherein said frame is configured to be positioned beneath theunderground plumbing fitting.
 5. (canceled)
 6. An underground plumbingsystem being configured to inhibit debris from entering a valve box whenthe valve box is buried, said system comprising: a valve box havingbottom side, a top side and an outer wall extending therebetween, eachof said top side and said bottom side being open, said valve box beingconfigured to be buried in ground having said top side being exposedthereby facilitating an underground plumbing fitting to be housed withinsaid valve box, said outer wall having an inner surface; a lid beingremovably positioned on said valve box, said lid being positioned toclose said top side; and a shield being removably positioned within saidvalve box wherein said shield is configured to inhibit debris fromentering said valve box when said valve box is buried thereby inhibitingthe underground plumbing fitting from being covered by the debris, saidshield comprising: a frame having a pair of lateral walls extendingbetween a pair of longitudinal walls, said lateral walls being spacedapart from each other such that said frame has a rectangular shape, saidframe having an inside surface and an outside surface, said frame beingremovably positioned in said valve box having said outside surface ofsaid frame frictionally engaging said inner surface of said valve boxhaving said frame being coextensive with said outer wall of said valvebox, said frame being aligned with said bottom side of said valve boxwherein said frame is configured to be positioned beneath theunderground plumbing fitting, and a screen being coupled to andextending perpendicularly from said inside surface of said frame, saidscreen being offset from and centrally positioned between upper andlower edges of said frame and extending between each of said lateralwalls and each of said longitudinal walls wherein said screen isconfigured to inhibit the debris from passing through said frame whensaid valve box is buried.